Nikki is taking the car up to Fort Lewis for the week, so the boys and I are carfree. Carfree in Hillsboro, OR is a very different thing from carfree in Portland, OR, but I think we'll manage just fine.
That is all.
25 May 2009
24 May 2009
Same name, new direction...
An announcement
I'm taking this little bloggy-blog in a new direction. Instead of being a bike-centric blog by a guy living in Oregon, it'll be a blog by a bike-centric guy living like a gypsy. I mean, the bike-thing can only go so far (unless of course you happen to be BikePortland or Cyclelicious...).
Nikki just started 15 months of six-week rotations, and so rather than sit around without her, we've decided to tag along. Her first rotation is up at Fort Lewis and began last week. It kinda sucks, but during this first rotation, we'll only see her on weekends. Her rotation ends when our current lease runs out, so we're following her onto the next stop: Boise, ID.
He loved it and cruised up and down the street. Stopping was never an issue - he'd apply the brakes, put a foot down and stand there like he's been doing it for years - but starting was a different issue. Everytime he'd come to a stop on Friday, he'd look at me and say, "a little help, please," and I'd hold the back of his seat while he'd get going.
I'm taking this little bloggy-blog in a new direction. Instead of being a bike-centric blog by a guy living in Oregon, it'll be a blog by a bike-centric guy living like a gypsy. I mean, the bike-thing can only go so far (unless of course you happen to be BikePortland or Cyclelicious...).
Nikki just started 15 months of six-week rotations, and so rather than sit around without her, we've decided to tag along. Her first rotation is up at Fort Lewis and began last week. It kinda sucks, but during this first rotation, we'll only see her on weekends. Her rotation ends when our current lease runs out, so we're following her onto the next stop: Boise, ID.
In the next few weeks, I'll pack most of our furniture - and most of our belongings - into storage so that the essentials in our life fit into (and onto) the Subaru. The boys and I will spend the month of July in Idaho with Nikki, then head to New Hampshire for the month of August. We'll meet up with Nikki in San Diego for the month of September, and then head back up to Oregon for October through December. Her first fall rotation is in Newberg, which is about 30-45 minutes south of PDX, and her second one will be in Portland, so we're not sure what we'll do about housing.
The gypsy life.
Stay tuned...
Back to the biking thing
Mr. Independent
After a few months backslide into the use of training wheels, Liam removed them piece-by-piece this week. We started on Monday by removing his left training wheel. He zipped around and mainly used the training wheel as a kickstand and for starting and stopping. The right training wheel kept hanging him up on right-hand turns, so on Friday he said to me, "Daddy, this thing is getting in my way. Let's take it off."
He loved it and cruised up and down the street. Stopping was never an issue - he'd apply the brakes, put a foot down and stand there like he's been doing it for years - but starting was a different issue. Everytime he'd come to a stop on Friday, he'd look at me and say, "a little help, please," and I'd hold the back of his seat while he'd get going.
On Saturday, he looked at me and said, "I think I can start on my own. Show me again how to do it." I showed him, and off he went. First try. He's now a fully independent biker.
What's with the white vans?
I'm not really sure what's with me and white vans. It was a white van that drove me off the road last September, and today, I had a run in with yet another white van. My friend Bryce and I were out on a ride today when a white van came hauling ass around a corner about an eighth of a mile back, I heard them coming, and started to move into single file (we were riding next to each other - I realize it's not encouraged, but we were out on a rural road...) but these guys laid on the horn and sat on it as they approached us, passed us (and threw water on us - we hope!) and drove off.
Assholes.
28 April 2009
hot [bike] date
On Saturday, Nikki and I went out on a hot bike date. A classmate of Nikki's stayed in with the boys, so we rode our bikes to the MAX stop near her school and rode into town.
We hopped off the MAX at Kings Hill/SW Salmon and rode NW 18th about 20 blocks to the Lucky Labrador Beer Hall on Quimby where we had a few slices of yummy veggie pizza and a few rounds (OK, maybe I had a few and Nikki had like one...) of delicious beers!
The Lucky Lab is a fun, open beer hall with long tables full of people playing games (provided in shelves by the door), using laptops (using free Wi-Fi - or maybe Clear?!), or just hanging out with friends (or a hot date).
After the Lukcy Lab, we rode along NW 20th, up the hill by PGE Park, and down into Goose Hollow. The Goose Hollow Inn has a fun, small, dark (and maybe on the gritty side) bar that looks right out at the MAX stop, so we had a round while we waited for our train.
I love riding my bike through Portland at night. The bike lanes are full of riders moving all around the city and bike racks outside (and in the case of the Lucky Lab, inside) bars, brewpubs, restaurants, stores and all types of establishments are full.
We hopped off the MAX at Kings Hill/SW Salmon and rode NW 18th about 20 blocks to the Lucky Labrador Beer Hall on Quimby where we had a few slices of yummy veggie pizza and a few rounds (OK, maybe I had a few and Nikki had like one...) of delicious beers!
The Lucky Lab is a fun, open beer hall with long tables full of people playing games (provided in shelves by the door), using laptops (using free Wi-Fi - or maybe Clear?!), or just hanging out with friends (or a hot date).
After the Lukcy Lab, we rode along NW 20th, up the hill by PGE Park, and down into Goose Hollow. The Goose Hollow Inn has a fun, small, dark (and maybe on the gritty side) bar that looks right out at the MAX stop, so we had a round while we waited for our train.
I love riding my bike through Portland at night. The bike lanes are full of riders moving all around the city and bike racks outside (and in the case of the Lucky Lab, inside) bars, brewpubs, restaurants, stores and all types of establishments are full.
26 April 2009
two rides; one week - only in Portland!
I recently rode in two rides that exemplified why Portland is such a great city for riders.
Crazy, crazy climbs!
Crazy, crazy climbs!
On April 3rd, I rode in the De Ronde van Oeste Portlandia, an undergroundish-group-ride with about 600 people. It was 47 miles with over 7000 vertical feet of climbing and was probably the most challenging ride of my life.
The course zigged and zagged up and down Portland's west hills, climbing the steepest inclines I've ever attempted on a bike. There were moments when I figured I'd just quit, but I ended up riding with a great group of riders who kept encouraging each other all the way to the finish at Council Crest, Portland's highest point.
It was one of the funnest rides I've ever been on, as we paraded through the streets of Portland with everyone dressed as bunnies. We started the ride in southeast, where we rode through parks and down bike lanes to the Eastbank Esplanade.
The course zigged and zagged up and down Portland's west hills, climbing the steepest inclines I've ever attempted on a bike. There were moments when I figured I'd just quit, but I ended up riding with a great group of riders who kept encouraging each other all the way to the finish at Council Crest, Portland's highest point.
It took me alomost as long as it took me to ride 100 miles in last summer's Portland Century!
Bunny on a Bike
A little over a week later, the McLeod family joined about a hundred other Portland riders for the 5th Annual Bunny on a Bike Ride.
It was one of the funnest rides I've ever been on, as we paraded through the streets of Portland with everyone dressed as bunnies. We started the ride in southeast, where we rode through parks and down bike lanes to the Eastbank Esplanade.
Groups from northeast, northwest, southwest and north Portland met up with us at the Vera Katz statue at the riverfront, and from there we circled the waterfront, then rode through the city to Irwin Park for a teaparty potluck and easter egg hunt. It was a perfect day for a ride through the city with a bunch of bunnies!
Check out the map of the De Ronde van Oeste Portlandia
20 March 2009
Spring ride
Nikki was home early today (because she's a total genius and she aced her exam), so I got to go for a ride.
I went on a variation of my usual ride, the Hillsboro Hills. Spring was in the air, as tulips and daffodils were popping up everywhere and the smell of fresh manure was wafting through the freshly-turned fields
Within five minutes of starting, I was pelted by some rain and fierce winds. The rain stopped within a few minutes, but the winds stayed in my face all the way to the base of the hill. The usual, big-crank spin through the flats was an all-out grunt fest as I made my way slowly toward the climb.
I was spared the winds on my climb, as that was the leeward side of the mountain, and was even granted a nice wind at my back as I made my way home.
There are only two weeks left until the 2009 De Ronde Van Oeste Portlandia, a 47-mile ride with 5,400 feet of climbing. I'd like to say I'm planning on riding in it, but for now, it's a "we'll see" situation!
Today's ride was 20 miles with 2,200 feet of climbing, so I think I'll be able to handle it. I think....
Check out a map of my ride today (along with vertical and speed).
I went on a variation of my usual ride, the Hillsboro Hills. Spring was in the air, as tulips and daffodils were popping up everywhere and the smell of fresh manure was wafting through the freshly-turned fields
Within five minutes of starting, I was pelted by some rain and fierce winds. The rain stopped within a few minutes, but the winds stayed in my face all the way to the base of the hill. The usual, big-crank spin through the flats was an all-out grunt fest as I made my way slowly toward the climb.
I was spared the winds on my climb, as that was the leeward side of the mountain, and was even granted a nice wind at my back as I made my way home.
There are only two weeks left until the 2009 De Ronde Van Oeste Portlandia, a 47-mile ride with 5,400 feet of climbing. I'd like to say I'm planning on riding in it, but for now, it's a "we'll see" situation!
Today's ride was 20 miles with 2,200 feet of climbing, so I think I'll be able to handle it. I think....
Check out a map of my ride today (along with vertical and speed).
1st day of spring
Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS Geotagging09 March 2009
bike train '09
Now that Liam has discovered that he can actually ride a bike, he provides the pedal-power and I steer. Camper is kind of like our horn; he's yelling most of the time.
Seriously, when Liam starts pedaling, it really pushes me along. We'll be coming up to an intersection and I'll yell, "green light! Pedal, pedal, pedal!" and I can feel the bike accelerate as he really starts pushing.
On the flats, I stop pedaling completely and let him provide the power. He loves it. He'll yell, "check it out Daddy, I can push you and pull Camper at the same time!
We were driving around east Portland yesterday. I can't wait for us to move into PDX and have access to the Springwater Corridor and Eastbank Esplanade.
Seriously, when Liam starts pedaling, it really pushes me along. We'll be coming up to an intersection and I'll yell, "green light! Pedal, pedal, pedal!" and I can feel the bike accelerate as he really starts pushing.
On the flats, I stop pedaling completely and let him provide the power. He loves it. He'll yell, "check it out Daddy, I can push you and pull Camper at the same time!
We were driving around east Portland yesterday. I can't wait for us to move into PDX and have access to the Springwater Corridor and Eastbank Esplanade.
08 March 2009
Bike Registration
A bill recently introduced to the Oregon Legislature would require all bicycles in Oregon to be registered. Registered!
House Bill 3008 proposes a $54 bi-annual “bicycle registration and licensing system.”
I'm not really sure why this bill has been introduced. Is it to solve some problem? Bike theft? The licensing system will somehow curb theft... Too many bikes? At $54 per bike, people may think twice about buying a bike.
All I know, is that it would cost way more to register my bikes than my car! I guess the bill only penalizes those over 18 for not registering, so I think we can get away with not registering the boys' bikes. That said, we're still looking at $324 every two years for our bikes, and $131 for our car (and $10 of that registration fee goes to the BTA!).
So of course I'm opposed to the bill.
Read about it at BikePortland.
[Update: Jonathan Maus, the Editor of Bike Portland interviewed the primary sponsor, Rep. Wayne Krieger (R-Gold Beach). Apparently, for Representative Krieger, it's a matter of equity. If bicyclists want to be treated equally, he believes we should pay our fair share. I could agree with him, but I believe $54 per bike is too steep. Perhaps it it be a percentage of the value of the bike, or something like that.]
House Bill 3008 proposes a $54 bi-annual “bicycle registration and licensing system.”I'm not really sure why this bill has been introduced. Is it to solve some problem? Bike theft? The licensing system will somehow curb theft... Too many bikes? At $54 per bike, people may think twice about buying a bike.
All I know, is that it would cost way more to register my bikes than my car! I guess the bill only penalizes those over 18 for not registering, so I think we can get away with not registering the boys' bikes. That said, we're still looking at $324 every two years for our bikes, and $131 for our car (and $10 of that registration fee goes to the BTA!).
So of course I'm opposed to the bill.
Read about it at BikePortland.
[Update: Jonathan Maus, the Editor of Bike Portland interviewed the primary sponsor, Rep. Wayne Krieger (R-Gold Beach). Apparently, for Representative Krieger, it's a matter of equity. If bicyclists want to be treated equally, he believes we should pay our fair share. I could agree with him, but I believe $54 per bike is too steep. Perhaps it it be a percentage of the value of the bike, or something like that.]
07 March 2009
spring beauty
I was able to get a ride in on Friday (March 6th). It was my first ride since getting the bike all tuned up a couple of weeks ago.
I thought I'd need a new drivetrain, but the guys at the shop said that all I needed was a new chain and a tune. (I like it when the shop-guys option is the cheapest!)
I went on my usual, Hillsboro Hills ride, and brought Nikki's iPhone with me. I had just installed the EveryTrail app and wanted to try it out.
It was a gorgeous spring day, with temperatures in the mid-60's and my bike riding like a sportscar, accelerating around corners and up hills - feeling that new-chain love!
You can see a map of my ride here (keep in mind, the ride-time and average speed are taking into account thelong rests at the tops of the climbs to take in the beauty of nature - seriously, Mt,. Hood and Mt. Saint Helens were out. It was awesome!)
I thought I'd need a new drivetrain, but the guys at the shop said that all I needed was a new chain and a tune. (I like it when the shop-guys option is the cheapest!)
I went on my usual, Hillsboro Hills ride, and brought Nikki's iPhone with me. I had just installed the EveryTrail app and wanted to try it out.
It was a gorgeous spring day, with temperatures in the mid-60's and my bike riding like a sportscar, accelerating around corners and up hills - feeling that new-chain love!
You can see a map of my ride here (keep in mind, the ride-time and average speed are taking into account the
Hillsboro hills ride
Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS Geotagging01 February 2009
February ride
I went out for a small, 15-mile road ride today. It was partly sunny with temperatures in the upper-40's. I was probably a little overdressed, with the exception of my gloves, so I ended up sweating more than I think I would have had it been in the 90's!
I've been riding my commuter bike three days a week to get to work, but that's in Portland, where I'm surrounded by fellow bike commuters and where the Department of Transportation does helpful things like clear the bike lanes of gravel (they have to; Portland has the highest rate of bicycle commuters in the nation, somewhere around 20%!).
Hillsboro, while only 13 miles west of PDX, is a completely different story. What bike lanes exist are covered in gravel, which forced me out into traffic. However, I only had one jacked-up pickup honk at me. The other jacked-up pickups and SUVs just gave me dirty looks (and no elbow room).
I've been riding my commuter bike three days a week to get to work, but that's in Portland, where I'm surrounded by fellow bike commuters and where the Department of Transportation does helpful things like clear the bike lanes of gravel (they have to; Portland has the highest rate of bicycle commuters in the nation, somewhere around 20%!).
Hillsboro, while only 13 miles west of PDX, is a completely different story. What bike lanes exist are covered in gravel, which forced me out into traffic. However, I only had one jacked-up pickup honk at me. The other jacked-up pickups and SUVs just gave me dirty looks (and no elbow room).
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